BooksBarbecue
Back The House Party
Chapters (57)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. April 2008
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. Author’s Note
  55. Acknowledgments
  56. About the Author
  57. About the Publisher

When she finally looked around, she realized she was almost back at her apartment. She’d thought of heading out to her parents’ place in Brooklyn, or returning to Aneeta’s house to lick her wounds, but there was no running away from this, no pretending that it wasn’t happening. That’s what Ted had done, and it had only made things worse. With a sigh, she turned toward her building. They weren’t going to celebrate, as she’d hoped, but she still had to go home.

39

Rosie’s European history class was watching part of a miniseries that took place during World War II. The classroom lights were off, and no one seemed to be paying much attention. She pulled out her phone, flipped it open, and texted Maddie, who hadn’t been at school all week. Rosie knew that Maddie had finally told her parents what happened, and that they had taken her to the police station, but she hadn’t heard much from Maddie since.

Hi, she texted. How are you doing?

To her surprise, Maddie texted back almost immediately: Been better.

Rosie was worried about her. Just when the talk about her at school finally died down, it started back up again with the police report. Officers had been back to the school to question students, and this time there’d been no complaints from parents. Rosie wasn’t sure if she would have been able to go forward with it, if she’d been in Maddie’s shoes.

Rosie, Maddie texted, the police are looking for the pictures from the party. They said they need them for evidence. Have you seen them?

Sorry, Rosie replied. Haven’t seen them.

She hesitated, and then texted again: I can ask Brendan.

For a minute there was no reply, and then: He took them?

No. But I heard he had them on his phone.

Maddie didn’t reply right away, and Rosie was staring at her phone, wondering if she should go to the bathroom and call her, when she sensed someone standing just behind her shoulder. She turned, and there was Ms. Grady, staring down at her screen. Before Rosie could react, Ms. Grady reached down and plucked the phone out of her hand. “Rosa!” she whispered. “I’m very surprised at you! You are supposed to be taking notes on the show.”

Rosie was mortified. She never got in trouble. Then she felt angry. She had actual, important things going on in her life, and she was supposed to pretend to be interested in a bunch of grown men playing war? No wonder everything had gotten so messed up. Adults were always focusing on the wrong stuff. “That’s private,” she snapped. And then said, sheepishly, “I’ll put it away.”